It started out with good intentions as “the finishing basket” when I was working on inventory before a craft show.
I’d knit a few washcloths then finish out the day with a cowl or shawl. I’d put them in the finishing basket and weave in the ends later as I watched the news. Then they’d go off to the wash and eventually be blocked and inventoried away.
It was a good system.
Then that cute little cardigan needed some buttons, but USPS was delayed, so it went to the basket.
Then I didn’t feel like finishing the fringe on a self-fringing shawl, so it went into the basket.
Then something interrupted me as I was weaving in ends, so that project went into the basket. Just for a little bit.
Then the craft show was cancelled and other shows followed suit.
The finishing basket was moved to the completely easy-to-see-and-not-forget corner of the yarn closet, and there weren’t any shows coming up anyway….
It was fine, right?
Here I am, a year later, with an overflowing finishing basket. The Basket of Shame.
Oops?
Is it too late for “oops?”
I want to call myself as a professional knitter.
And professionals finish their work, right?
So what am I doing with this pile of stuff?
I’m honestly more than a little embarrassed about it.
How did I let it get this bad? I was home all the time for over a year. There was time to get this done!
That’s not to say that I didn’t finish some things, because I did. But that basket pile still grew….
If you’re like me and some of your works-in-progress have transformed into UFO’s (un-finished objects), I’m here to tell you that it’s OK. It happens. You’re not alone here.
It’s OK to put things down for good reasons, silly reasons, or even no reason at all.
But.
It is important to pick them back up again.
Try not to be too hard on yourself. The UFOs were put away. It happened. Can’t change it.
Now, what I can do, what you can do, is pick up one of those UFOs and work on it.
Little by little, it’ll get done.
If you have some WIPs-turned-UFOs, why don’t you join me in finishing things up? Accountability helps, you know. 🙂
I’ll go first.
Here’s my UFO list and what each one needs to join my list of finished works.
- Teal Gradient Shawl – 25% left of curly fringe, final block
- Flame Gradient Shawl – initial block, straight fringe, final block
- Turquoise Socks – mattress stitch ribbing of 2nd sock, weave in ends
- Green Baby Surprise Sweater – edging, ends, buttons, final
- Grey Baby Surprise Sweater – ends, buttons, final block
- Grey Tank Top – armhole ribbing, side seams, ends, final block
- Black and Pink Scarflette – ends, final block
- Yellow and Orange Ear-flap hat – felting
- Coral skirt – elastic waistband
- Clapotis Scarf – blocking
- Washcloth 1 – ends
- Washcloth 2 – ends
- Orange Mittens – seaming, ends of second mitten
- Lavender Mittens – seaming, ends, actually make the second mitten
- Faux ‘Fair Isle’ Socks – make second sock, seaming, ends
- Fingerless Mitts – second thumb gusset, ends
Whoa. Sixteen projects with varying degrees of completion. A couple of them go more than a year back. Yikes. Others are SO close to the finish line it’s silly to think I stopped where I did.
On top of that, I found four completed projects in that basket! I don’t remember even making them!
I’m not proud that these projects ended up this way, but this is do-able. The Basket of Shame kept growing because I felt overwhelmed and anxious, and I just froze and tried to ignore it.
But that’s OK! Because I’m here now doing and improving, and I’m not going to stop. Now that basket can go back to just being a basket.
What UFOs are floating around your house? Why don’t you join me in taking care of them?
Thanks for reading. See you next time!
ELY Knits 